One of the issues with vaping going from, well, nowhere to everywhere in no time at all is that the rest of the world’s taking a little while to catch up with its incredible rise. An example of this is the expectations, exceptions and enforced rules in place for vapers in various different environments – not least indoors. Granted, when the vaper’s in their own home is very simple as it’s their own environment; they can do as they please and vape away to their heart’s content. When they’re in public enclosed spaces, though, it can get a bit complicated and unsure. Do you know what the rules/ guidelines are for vaping in your workplace, for instance? Or when you dine in a specific restaurant? Or when you go for a pint down your local? If you don’t, you should probably find out…
Vaping at work
Such a phenomenon is vaping and so widespread has e-cig use become that you’ll find many businesses and organisations now have policies in place to cover the vaping of their employees. To wit, when starting a new job, it’d be a wise move for you to check with your boss what the agreed guidelines and/ or rules are for vaping in that particular workplace. Generally speaking, the majority of offices aren’t keen for people to be vaping away while they’re working at their desks and so require them to pop outside and devote the equivalent of a cigarette break to indulge their vaping/ nicotine habit. However, vaping in some offices is de rigeur.
So, check before you start vaping or, alternatively, don’t assume it’ll be totally outlawed in a new workplace. Plus, if you’re a keen vaper and your workplace doesn’t have a vaping policy, you might want to suggest drawing one up in conjunction with your boss; that way, going forward, it’ll be clear what is and what isn’t expected from vapers where you work.
Vaping in pubs, bars and eateries
You may well be glad to hear that, unlike with tobacco smoking, UK law deems it legally acceptable to vape in pubs (and, by extension, other alcohol-serving as well as food-serving bars, restaurants, cafés, eateries and so on). However, that’s not to say that proprietors of individual establishments won’t necessarily have banned vaping in their interior premises – they’re well within their rights to do so.
However, different pub and restaurant chains will likely have specific vaping policies for patrons, which are likely to be chain-wide, while independently-owned and -run establishments will have their own (it often comes down to the fact many pub visitors and restaurant and café diners aren’t crazy about inhaling second-hand e-liquid vapour, even if they’re aware it’s relatively harmless; to be fair, would you want to inhale someone’s random vapour with a mouthful of food?). The message is clear then; ask before your get your e-cig out and press the fire button.
Vaping behind the wheel
Again, e-cigarettes (whether bought from a vape store London or one to be found anywhere, including online) aren’t lumped in with UK smoking legislation when it comes to driving. In 2015, the UK Government banned smoking when driving when there’s anyone else in the vehicle under the age of 18, but as vaping *isn’t* smoking (and, to a great extent, because official UK Government-backed research has found vaping to be 95 percent less harmful than smoking), there are no such laws in place when it comes to inhaling and exhaling vapour in a vehicle, whether you’re a driver or a passenger.
That said, the police are, of course, likely to – and will rightly – stop a motorist should they deem they’re not paying enough attention to the road due to them vaping and, yes, this could result in a fine. The takeaway here then? Vape in your vehicle by all means, but exhale with an open window so great plumes of vapour don’t end up obscuring your view through the front and back windscreens.